The need for cheese

I have to admit I succumbed to the power of the cheese.

Last night, feeling especially meh and whiney I gave in to the need for cheese.

We ordered a gluten free pizza from Goat Hill Pizza.

I wish I could say the pizza was all I had hoped for and totally worth it, but sadly it wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, the cheese divine.  It was the best part of the pizza.  I don't know if you've had a gluten free pizza (though I make a pretty mean almond flour crust pizza), but the cheese is the best part of a gluten free pizza.  No gluten and no dairy = no more pizza. EVER.

The aftermath of said pizza was a bit of extra nose running, a sinus headache this evening and considerably slower neti pot flow this evening.  Even at the height of my cold over the last 2 weeks (which got me using my neti pot daily), I did not have this much flow reduction.

Which leads me to conclude the no dairy experiment may be permanent.  That thought made the trip down the cheese aisle at Costco this evening terribly sad.  So many cheeses I may never get to know.

I'm not sure what touched my pizza (or if it's my monthly visitor) that caused my intense pain and burning in my left arm today.  It was so bad I WISHED I had ordered a sourdough crust and lived with the pain of eating gluten.

An observation I had made casually over the last few months was that the pain and burning in my left arm seems to increase in the days before my monthly visitor.  I'm going to start keeping notes on pain levels to see if there is any actual connection to the two, but I've noticed that even when I don't eat anything I am not supposed to, I still have an increase in pain symptoms around that time of the month.

Speaking of pain, last week I did not drink enough water after taking my turmeric supplement.  I've been taking turmeric as an anti-inflammatory for most of the year 2012 and it seems to help some and doesn't have the same side effects as Naprosen (which I have been on and off of for almost 15 years now).

Big mistake.  I was heading out the door to take the Pi for a walk and belched.  Unfortunately, the turmeric came back up.  Not just into my mouth, but in my sinuses and out my nose.  Holy crap. So bad.  I ran back in the house and nearly barfed.  After the gagging subsided, I was lucky to have enough time to rinse a large amount of the turmeric out of my sinuses.

Tip of the day: Make sure you take your supplements with at least a full glass of water, if not two.

I'm off to bed to mourn the further loss of cheese.

Still at it

Okay, I'm still at the no dairy thing.  I'm adjusting to it.  I don't have raging cravings for cheese like I thought I would, though there have been a few days that I REALLY wanted a gluten free pizza, but take the cheese away and it's just not worth it.

It has been 23 days since my last sinus adjustment, which was seemingly easier than ever before (I had been dairy free for about 3 weeks prior to that adjustment).  I don't think I'll be able to make it up for another adjustment for at least 2 more weeks though (going to Gunny's 90th (yes, I typed 90th) birthday party.

I hadn't really been using my netti pot with much regularity since I started getting my sinus adjustments (for the sake of science) just to make sure that the effects I was feeling were truly related to the adjustment.  I've used it here and there in the last 6 months (typically after working on a particularly dusty project) and noticed that the drainage was still slow even when I wasn't cruddy.

Well, I accidentally killed my Kombucha Mother (it caught the mold - first time ever in almost 10 years of brewing) so I was without my Kombucha for more than a week and caught whatever nastiness is going around the elementary schools right now.  I've been sickly for a little over a week (super congested, headache, cough, etc), which blew the plans for Thanksgiving crabbing.

Due to the amount of crud building up in my face, I decided to bust out the old netti pot.  Prior to sinus adjustments and dietary changes, it could take 10 minutes just to get the water moving through my sinuses (I know, it's gross) and even then, it was barely a trickle.  And no, that was NOT when I had a cold.  That was just daily, run of the mill netti usage.  Even after I started adjustments, it was still a bit slow going, like everything was swollen.

I have to tell you, even with all the crud built up, the water is flowing freely.  It's moving the crud quickly and easily, which has never been the case before.

As much as I had to admit it, I think my nasal swelling was largely related to dairy.  I still have a bit more "science" to do though.  Raw dairy has different effects on people than pasteurized, homogenized dairy from what I have read.  My next step will be to test to see if there is a difference between the two that I notice.

Pumpkin Custard? Finally!

I had the day off yesterday and even though I had a boat load of homework to do (it feels like ALL I ever do), I decided to finally start experimenting with a pumpkin custard as I have been saying I was going to do for weeks now.

I spent some time looking for a recipe to try (again it had to be gluten free and dairy free) and stumbled upon  this one.  I of course made a few changes to it though.  Here's what I did:

3/4 can of pureed pumpkin (unseasoned)
1/2 c. coconut milk (full fat)
1/2 c. grade b maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 tsp tapioca starch
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients until completely combined. Pour into glass or ceramic baking dishes (I REALLY had wanted to bake individual servings, but alas we have no ramekins).  Place the baking dishes of choice in a water bath (larger baking dish filled with water to about 1/2 way up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake 50-55 minutes.

This was pretty simple to make.  When it was baking, the house smelled like pumpkin pies and it was awesome.  So awesome it was hard to wait for Justin to come home from work to try it out.  We actually waited until after dinner (building the hype up even more!).  When we finally tasted it, it was fabulous. It had a smooth texture and had just enough spice (we all know how I feel about pumpkin goods being properly spiced!) I increased the amount of spice just slightly and swapped out the hemp milk for coconut milk from the original recipe. That being said, I think if I were to make this again, I may decrease the maple syrup from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup.  It was just a hint too sweet for me, but for others, I think the sweetness would hit the spot.

Today I saw a recipe for a paleo pumpkin cheesecake.  I'm pretty sure that will be next on my list.

Eat FAT?

I wanted to write about a realization I had the other day that was pretty awesome.

I've struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember.  I've tried every diet on the planet (low fat, low calorie, vegetarian, high fiber, Weight Watchers, etc).  I spent most of my life being stressed out about what I ate, when I ate it, if I was working out enough, counting this and counting that.  Let's just say that wasn't the most wonderful way to live.  Freaking out about food and whether or not I was spending enough time at the gym is surprisingly stressful.

I've made a lot of changes to my diet in the last couple of years and I realized the other day that I am not constantly thinking about food or beating myself up about not going to the gym or working out any more.

I went on my first diet when I was 11 years old.  I remember eating nothing more than lettuce and yogurt for months on end.  I also started exercising obsessively around then as well (at least 2 hours a day).  I lost a bunch of weight, but ended up getting seriously sick with pneumonia and gaining it all back.

When I was 16, I lost about 40 pounds, but was spending 2 or more hours a day exercising and became a vegetarian around that time.  I never felt awesome, but I thought I looked great.

I became a firefighter when I was 18, which only fueled my gym addiction.  In addition to the grueling work of fighting fires, I was working out at least 2 hours a day during season and spending 3 or more hours a day at the gym during off season.  I was also eating the brilliant diet of Diet Pepsi and some sort of carb-y goodness (a sugar cookie or bagel) and drinking copious amounts of coffee to kill my appetite.

I was thin, but didn't seem to be very toned.

The years progressed and my diet changed (I brought back limited amounts of animal protein to my diet but was still strictly eating low fat and high fiber/grains), but my body never really changed.  Even at my thinnest, I still looked soft.  I made an attempt at a low carb diet once under the advice of a personal trainer.  I have to say about 6 hours into it, I wanted to kill someone for a muffin.  I stuck with it for a few months (but it was still low fat) and was able to get pretty toned even on only an hour a day at the gym.

About a year after that, I got into a car accident that curbed my gym habit hard!  After finally getting things back in order from that, I started to have debilitating pain that prevented me even at times from walking.  Needless to say, I started gaining weight (even while on Weight Watchers during this time) and I swear doing Weight Watchers made me feel even more hungry!  All I could do was think about food.  Plan out my meals. Allocate my points. Calculate how much of ANY activity I could do to earn more points.... It was terrible!

In 2010, I stumbled upon

ant it changed my relationship with food forever.  I had been reading about coconut oil and all the wonderful things it can do for you, including boost your metabolism.  I have to say that changing to a high fat, moderate protein and lower carb diet was quite a transition for me.  The idea of actively seeking out fat and ADDING it to my diet had me nervous.  I was worried I was going to blow up even more than I already had.

I bought my first jar of coconut oil and forced myself to start eating it (even though it went against everything I thought was the right way to eat).  Well, it's been 2 years and I haven't gained any weight from adding fat and in fact, my weight is down.  It's not a rapid weight loss miracle, but slowly and steadily, I was keeping weight off, not losing and gaining repeatedly.

I've got more to share about this subject, but I had a moment of extreme gratitude when I realized that I haven't told myself "you better go hit the treadmill" or "you need to exercise for x amount of time" to make up for some item that I have just consumed.  In fact, it was awesome to realize that I allow myself to have dessert now without worrying about how much weight I'm going to gain.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I tried to mentally calculate the calories or fat grams I'm eating.  I'm looking and feeling better than I have in a LONG time. And I think for the first time ever, I can really say I'm comfortable being me.

Cheesy Bacon Goodness

Well, I tested the dairy theory last night.  My mom made some most excellent grilled cheese sandwiches using Tillamook Habanero Jack cheese.

I couldn't pass up spicy cheesy goodness with BACON!  Granted  blowing my nose repeatedly and having it run like a faucet while being so inflamed I can barely move air through my sinus passages sucks, it's not enough to pass something that delicious up.  

Testing the dairy theory is much less awful than testing the gluten theory.  I learned the hard way last week not to eat anything that has been touched by gluten containing products.  We had a Halloween party at work, I was ravenous and decided to try to eat a mummy dog sans mummy wrap (pigs in a blanket with a cute name).  I peeled off that outer layer and ate half a hot dog that had been touched by crescent roll.  Well, with the amount of pain I was in for the next 4 days, I should have just eaten the damn crescent roll too!

I had an appointment with my chiropractor at Gold Country Chiropractic this morning for a sinus adjustment (the first one in 3 weeks!) and it was so much easier and less uncomfortable than any of my treatments before (even when i was going weekly and not letting much time go by between adjustments).  While I can't be entirely certain as yet, I think  that dairy was contributing the swelling of my nasal passages, which made the adjustments very resistant and very painful!  I did eat some dairy last night, so the swelling may have returned slightly, but it did not seem to be nearly as inflamed as usual. 

While my ooey gooey grilled cheese was delicious, I am going to go back to no dairy for another month and see how my next adjustment goes.  I managed to last 3 weeks this time between adjustments, so I'm aiming for 4 weeks for the next one.  

Considering I am often lamenting the lack of readily available treats for me, I tried something new today.  I bought a loaf of Glutino White Sandwich Bread so I could have some grilled cheese (so far the best of the gluten free breads I have tried).  Tonight I wanted something treat like, so I decided upon cinnamon toast.  In place of butter, I used Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil Extra-Virgin 29 oz. 218566 (Google Affiliate Ad), which gave it a slightly coconut-y flavor.  In all, it was a quick and easy treat.  I don't normally have any bread on hand (I mostly gave it up since going gluten free), but it hit the spot tonight.

I plan to test at least one pumpkin custard this week.  I'll share the results.  

The search is on!

For a pumpkin custard recipe that is dairy free AND doesn't suck.

When I was younger, I couldn't stand pumpkin pie.  It was soggy and gross.  I worked in a bakery and people LOVED our pumpkin pies.  I never understood it.

The years have passed and my feelings for pumpkin have changed.  I love everything about pumpkin now.  I love the spice and aroma of most things pumpkin. There is nothing better than a cool, crisp autumn day and something spicy, be it pumpkin bread, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pancakes.  You get the picture, I love pumpkin.

Sad to say it seems as though most things pumpkin spice these days are lacking in the spice department.  Take away my gluten and my dairy and it leaves me with spices to make me happy. I've tried a few pumpkin recipes so far this fall with the new lifestyle changes and all I can say is I have been UNDERWHELMED.

Perhaps it is assumed that when you find out you have food sensitivities or allergies, that your desire for good food is gone.  Maybe the people creating these recipes have diminished taste buds, I don't know.  Pretty much any recipe for anything pumpkin (and gluten free) is bland.

I made a GF pumpkin bread a couple of weeks ago.  Bland. (Though it made for some pretty delicious french toast the next day when I added more spices).

Before I started my no dairy experiment, I had a pumpkin spice latte (from two major chains).  Both tasted like overly sweet, slightly spiced milk.  The Bean Barn in Placerville has much better pumpkin spice lattes, but that is neither here nor there.

So I am setting out to perfect a dairy free pumpkin spice custard (since I haven't perfected a GF pie crust and nothing will ever compare to my mom's pie crusts).

It needs to have a smooth texture, have a balanced sweetness and a spiciness that reflects wonderful fall flavors.  I can't tell if all of a sudden I have intensified the memories of fall spices (last time I had a spiced cider, it too just seemed cloyingly sweet), or if people have just equated saturated in sugar with fall flavors now.

No! Not the cheese!

I know it's been a LONG while since I've updated the blog...

In the 2 months since I last posted, I moved, started a new job and started attending school full time.

Well, considering I've moved to an area with entirely different allergens than I had been living in (plus some nice sea air as well) I'd like to be able to say my allergies are better times 1,000.  I can't.  At all.

I already suspected my allergies were not entirely environmental (still can't deal with fragrances) after a trip to North Carolina in 2011 and I've been back and forth between the Sierra Foothills and the Bay Area for about 5 years all with similar allergy symptoms.

I had gone about a month here in the Bay without getting my sinuses adjusted (can't really find a chiro here that 1. does the adjustment and 2. would be willing to work with my latex allergy) and I was MISERABLE (I'm pretty sure poor Justin was just as miserable if not more so considering I was waking up through the night sneezing and blowing my nose).

I've started making the trip back home every other week or so to go to Gold Country Chiropractic for sinus adjustments and while it's sort of a hassle with school and all (I've not taken a full time class load in forever and AAU's full time class load is intense) it is totally worth it.  But even with the sinus adjustments, I still am having allergy issues.

Then I got the brilliant idea to do the GAPS diet.  The GAPS diet is a super restrictive elimination diet that people usually use to heal the gut, but there are a lot of resources out there for it, so it seemed like a logical starting point for my elimination diet.

Well, I got lazy.  And overwhelmed.  I share a kitchen with 4 other people, so the amount of prep that would make this diet easiest wasn't really going to happen without a lot of freezer space and fridge space.  And the food seemed pretty boring (I really like food, especially good food).

I decided "hey, maybe it would be easier to just eliminate one type of food" instead of eliminating everything except boiled meats, bone broth and winter veggies (also boiled).

I decided upon dairy as my first food group to eliminate.

That doesn't sound like much until you realize how much I love cheese.  Especially since giving up gluten.  Cheese has always been a go to snack for me.  I'll grab a couple of slices of cheese, a handful of nuts and an apple and I'm good to go.  The fruit and cheese plate at Starbucks is my go to snack when I am out and about because the crackers are packaged separately and aren't touching the other foods.  There is nothing more wonderful than a delicious cup of Gold Coast Coffee Company coffee with heavy cream.  I will eat whipped cream by itself.  You get the picture, I LOVE dairy.

I'd gone about 2 weeks of no dairy (no yogurt, no cheese, no cream) and Justin and I went to dinner the other night at Triptych, where they have one of the few gluten free deserts I would call DELICIOUS (White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake).  So I ordered it without even thinking about the dairy.  While it was super tasty and I savored every bite of it, I was a little apprehensive about what the next morning would be like.

Well, it sucked.  A lot.  I woke up sneezing, nose running and so congested I was back to mouth breathing.  I wanted to cry.  The only thing I had done differently was that damn piece of cheesecake.

It got me thinking though, is it all dairy?  Is it just pasteurized dairy?  Perhaps I can handle raw dairy?  Fingers currently crossed that it's just pasteurized dairy.

Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Days 13 - 21

I am pretty sure people were getting a little bored with all of my snot talk, so I gave it a rest for a bit. :)

Well, today was treatment 4 (and day 21) of the sinus adjustments.  I will say the adjustment itself has become so much easier.  We were done in about 15 minutes today and it would have been even faster if it weren't for me having to sit up and blow my nose.

The adjustment only took a couple of pumps per sinus cavity (it seemed about 3 pumps per cavity, but really it is hard to count while you've got something expanding in your sinuses).  It is far less painful than it was the first time.

I still have some sneezing and runny nose issues (mostly at work - mostly), BUT I can say it is amazing NOT going through a box of tissues or more in a week. I'm not alone with the sneezing and runny nose in the office though. Almost everyone has had some sort of allergy issues and/or headaches since moving into the office.

I have not had a single sinus headache in 21 days.  21 days!  I had experienced some degree of sinus pressure and pain almost daily for quite some time.  No sinus pain in 21 days!

I have also only had 1 migraine in the last 21 days.  While I've been able to reduce the amount of migraines I have had tremendously through diet, I would still have them from time to time. Fat, magnesium and potassium have made a world of difference in my life.

I can't say the same things work for the everyone, but the sinus adjustments seem to be working wonders for me.

Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Day 12

NASAL ALLERGIES

Okay, today has been the worst day since before I started the treatments.  I have been sneezing on and off and had to blow my nose quite a few times today.  I am not alternating between running like a faucet and being so congested I can't breathe though.  Also, no sinus pressure and no sinus pain even though I've been sneezing and my nose has been running.

I have another treatment scheduled for Monday, so hopefully I get back on track. I still maintain that even with the sneezing and nose running today, my symptoms are entirely better than they were. I swore I was allergic to myself because it didn't matter where I was or what I was doing, I had extreme allergy symptoms. I thought when I went to North Carolina last year, that I would get away from whatever I was allergic to.  Not so much, which lead me to think I was allergic to my self.

GLUTEN SENSITIVITY

As far as the whole bee thing goes, I think part of the issue with my arm is hypersensitivity to inflammation.  After getting stung by that darn bee yesterday, my entire arm hurts and I've had some of the burning and tingling in my pinky and up the back side of my arm to my scapula.

While I've been tested for Celiac before and the test was negative, it seems as though I have a sensitivity issue more than an actual allergy.  I have had joint pain as long as I could remember, been lethargic, always cold and had some intense digestive issues over the years.

The pain in my left arm had been so intense that I could not use my arm.  Multiple specialists couldn't figure out anything that could have been wrong, and I had tried so many homeopathic remedies it was ridiculous.  I had even tried cobra venom. COBRA VENOM!!!!!!!!

After being told "just don't use it" about by arm (not that easy when you are a lefty, but I did it. I managed 3 semesters of art school teaching myself to be right handed), I didn't really know what else to try and had resigned myself to becoming a righty and learning to do everything over again.  Until a friend told me how awesome she felt after going gluten free.

I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.  I don't think there is really any one "right" way to live, you have to listen to your body to find the right balance for you.  I had maintained a low fat, high fiber diet for most of my life.  I added fat back into my diet in September 2010 after reading "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Just that addition made a world of difference in how I felt.  But I was still eating a lot of grain based foods (though I was at least eating my grains properly soaked/sprouted/fermented).

In January 2012, I made the leap to gluten free.  For a bread addict like myself, it was not super easy, but it was easier this time around than the time I had a trainer put me on a low carb diet (I thought I was going to kill someone for a muffin) because I was also eating low fat as well as low carb.

I can say that after 6 months of gluten free, I have become really good at listening to my body.  I usually tell within 3 hours if something has gluten in it or has been cross contaminated.  I also kept a pretty boring diet for the first few months so I was really able to pinpoint any issues.  For the most part, I'm eating a modified paleo diet (I like my raw dairy) because there aren't a ton of really good gluten free alternatives to bread and baked goods.

Again, I don't think there is any one right way to live, but if what you are doing obviously isn't working (you shouldn't feel like crap all the time - that is NOT normal), it may benefit you to try an alternative to what you are doing.

Gluten Free Goodness

I admit I still have cravings for foods I can't eat.  Typically attempts to recreate or purchase something pre-made are a great disappointment. 

Well, not tonight.  

I really wanted breaded chicken strips.  Every once in a while, I really love breaded chicken strips - in a salad, with honey mustard, you know stuff like that.  

I've made a few attempts at breaded chicken over the last few months and the Nan didn't approve. I've tried almond meal, coconut flour, etc.  They were okay, but not great.  

Well, tonight I tried something a little different. And it was AWESOME!!!!!!! (even the Nan approved) 

Here's the recipe: 

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayanne pepper

Freshly ground pepper (I didn't measure it out, it's a pain to measure while grinding)

2 eggs

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Slice chicken breast thinly, about a 1/4 inch thick. 

Heat oil of your choice over medium heat (about 1/8-1/4 inch deep) in a skillet/frying pan. 

Mix all dry ingredients well in a shallow bowl.  

Beat the 2 eggs.  

Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and dredge through in the almond/tapioca mixture.  Place in heated oil and cook until golden on both sides. 

Serve with your choice of dipping sauce (I'm partial to honey mustard or jalapeno yogurt dip) or slice for use in a salad.  

It hit the spot, which I haven't really been able to say about a lot of the foods I've tried over the last six months (especially pre-made foods).  

Since I can't enjoy a nice cold one, I tried J.K.'s Solstice Hard Cider.  I had tried a gluten free beer (corn based) a couple of months ago and was sorely disappointed.  It tasted sort of like super watered down raspberry soda (it was a "raspberry ale").  Well, I was definitely not disappointed in the Hard Cider.  It was crisp and delicious, refreshing and definitely observed the law of one-itudes.  

Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Day 11

Okay, it's day 11.  I woke up slightly congested on the right side, but I was able to get the congestion moving within a few minutes and it is still a thousand times better than it was 12 days ago.

No headache today, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I can't tell if the slight increase in congestion is related to the move into the new office or not. It was only a week at the old office and I felt great and then we moved to the dungeon Monday and have had a slight increase in symptoms.

A few sneezes here and there, definitely better than before.

Even with the slight increase this week, it is still a massive improvement over a box of Kleenex a week and uncontrollable sneezing.

I have another treatment scheduled for Monday.  Perhaps an adjustment and time to get used to the dungeon  and I'll be back on track.

An allergy note, I am NOT allergic to bees.  I had never been stung by a bee until today and my mom is deathly allergic.  I was sitting on the library lawn enjoying my book and lunch.  When it was time to go back to work, I went to get up and smashed a bee.  In his anger, he stung the crap out of my finger. I cursed him and then apologized to him for smashing him.

Adventures in Allergy Treatments - 10

Okay, it's been 10 days.  10 glorious days of breathing. Through my nose. Unlike creepy mouth breathers.

I can say with certainty the headache yesterday was work related.  I couldn't pinpoint a smell yesterday because it was faint but it was enough to get to me. I was able to identify it today (someone's lotion). That coupled with a lack of adequate water equaled a killer headache for the last two days in the afternoon.

I stopped by the store and picked up a couple of gallons of water to last the next few days until we get water delivered at the office on Monday.  (The only sinks are in the bathrooms or in the print shop - the print shop water smells like sewage)

Proper hydration definitely makes a difference. I made sure to take potassium at lunch and between that and the water, the smell didn't get to me QUITE as much.  I still don't know how to broach the subject of overwhelming fragrances in the office, especially in the basement without a lot of ventilation.

I still had a bit of congestion when I woke up this morning, but it resolves itself within minutes instead of one or more hours.  A few nose blows, and I'm good to go these days.  If I sneeze, it's 3 sneezes and I'm done. Usually I will sneeze uncontrollably.

I still haven't used a neti pot, taken any benedryl or used any sort of sinus/nasal remedy in 10 days.

I still think that the air feels rather "cold" coming through my nose.  I love not being a mouth breather any more though!

Adventures in Allergy Treatments - Day 9

Okay, it's been 9 days of being able to breathe.

Unfortunately, I am not sure if it is the air in the new building or if someone is using scented lotion or something in the afternoon, but yesterday and today, after full days in the new office, I have had a wicked headache by 2 p.m..  I haven't missed taking my potassium at lunch, so I don't think that is the issue. I've avoided everything else that may or may not influence the results of the adjustments, but I didn't really figure in the air in the dungeon.

There is a slight smell that I can't place in the afternoon.  I am not the only one who has had this problem (the person who sits next to me is having similar issues with afternoon headaches and not being able to place the smell either).  I'm actually glad I'm tracking all of this so I can try to determine what triggers my allergy symptoms.

Even though I have been getting headaches the last two days, I can still breathe through my nose.  I was a bit on the stuffy side waking up this morning, but still much better than it was.

After leaving the office, my headache started to subside in about an hour.  Coincidence?  Maybe.

Adventures In Allergy Treatments - Day 8

I think adventures in allergy treatments sounds a little better than "Endonasal Balloon Therapy" (really, I just got tired of typing it).  It at least sounds a bit more fun. 

I woke up this morning slightly congested on the right side from sleeping on my side.  While it was more congestion than I have had for the last week, it was still less than my best day previously.  I sat up and things got moving. 

I felt a bit foggy today, but I think that was more desiring to be outside since I got moved to the basement and there are NO WINDOWS!!!!!!!!!!!  Well, there is one in a conference room, but I don't think I want to go in there.  There is a sign on the window warning people to be careful of the snake when opening and closing the window. 

I had a few sneezes here and there throughout the day.  The thing that sucks is the first week I was in a different office building all together, so now I'm not sure if any mid day sneezing is related to overall allergy symptoms or if it is related to the new building's air. They told us they had the HVAC system cleaned and evaluated before moving people in, but you never know how well anything gets cleaned.

It's really hard to do a "controlled" study to see what works and what doesn't. BUT, I have made it through an entire week with no benedryl, no allergy medications of any sort, minimal nose blowing and no neti pot.  For me, that is a pretty big deal.

I'm trying to convince my mom, who can't go a day without a Zyrtec D (can't even get out of bed in the morning without it) to try it. 

Endonasal Balloon Therapy - Day 7

Okay, it's been a full week since starting the nasal adjustments.  Today was the second treatment, which went much faster and more smoothly than last week.  My chiro was happy to hear that I am documenting the results I'm having, both good and bad. 

I did find out that while some call it Endonasal Balloon Therapy, it is also called the Nasal Specific Technique (my chiro's preferred reference). 

I will say that the jaunt through Bloomingdales messed me up seriously.  I was sneezing and nose running pretty much all day from it.  I woke up mostly able to breathe through my nose (it was slightly more congested and I feel it was related to the reaction to the cosmetics/fragrances). 

I got a call from my chiro's office just before lunch, asking if I could come in at lunch or if I could leave work early to come in.  I ran down at lunch (we moved to the new office today, so I'm really close to the chiro's office). 

I had her do the nasal adjustment before my normal adjustment, and it was super fast this time!  She's also getting the feel of using the nitrile (which is less stretchy than latex), so she was able to feel when she hit the right level of inflation. 

This time there was FAR less nasal discharge from the actual adjustment and I even teared up less.  I was back to my office in 1/2 an hour including drive time. 

I had a bit of a headache this afternoon, but I think that was partly due to the fact I didn't get any potassium at lunch (I thought I needed CVT glasses because I was getting a wicked headache every afternoon. I also was seriously craving salt in the afternoons as well. Turns out eating a banana or taking a potassium supplement has helped immensely).  My desk wasn't fully unpacked and once I got it unpacked, I didn't really think about the potassium. 

Overall, I still maintain that letting someone stick "balloons" up my nose is worth it.  I am only blowing my nose a few times a day, only sneezing a few times a day and fewer headaches. 

I know I try weird for weird's sake most of the time. I've tried anything and everything for my allergies (which I never had until AFTER moving back to Northern CA after living in San Diego): bee pollen, local honey, SinuOrega spray, various herbs, Elemental Silver spray, coconut oil up my nose, all with zero to minimal results.  It has been a week and I have greatly reduced symptoms. 

Life is so much more pleasant when you can breathe.  Exercise is almost enjoyable again now that I can breathe through my nose.  I didn't realize how limited my breathing was until after the first adjustment.

Endonasal Balloon Therapy - Days 4-6

I missed a few days of posting, heading down to SF for the A's v. Giants game, seeing Brave and seeing my love.

Day 4 - I had a bit more sneezing and nose blowing, but definitely NOT where I was even Monday before the treatment.  No sinus headache, no sinus pressure, just a bit of sneezing (a handful of times).  No massive feelings of pressure change on the way down to SF.  Still able to lay on my side without completely having my nasal passages blocked off within minutes.

Day 5 - Woke up after sleeping on my side, still no morning congestion.  Had to blow my nose a few times, but definitely not as much as normal.  For the most part, my allergy symptoms were pretty minimal, at least until passing a group of smokers on the way in to the ballpark.  I did have some sneezing and nose running after passing the smell of cigarettes, but still not the way I have in the past.

Day 6 - Definitely found a trigger of allergy symptoms today!  It wasn't too bad this morning, woke up with a clear nose, had to blow my nose a few times but nothing serious.  UNTIL..............  We walked through Bloomingdale's to get into the mall and go to the movies.  Within minutes, my nose was running and I was sneezing, which I really expected considering I always have that reaction going through cosmetics/fragrance areas of any stores.  It's been almost 8 hours and I am just now getting over the sneezing and nose blowing. 

Tomorrow is treatment #2. Overall, I can say that the response I've had so far is worth the slight discomfort experience during the treatment. 

Endonasal Balloon Therapy - Day 3

Okay, today is going to be a short update.

I can still breathe through both nostrils (even woke up able to breathe through both nostrils!), but I am definitely experiencing a crappy headache today. I don't believe it's sinus related, as the lines on the paper at work were jumping back and forth. 

Still only a few sneezes and a few Kleenex today though. 

Unfortunately since I've decided to not take decongestants, use my neti, etc., so I am sort of suffering a bit. I did take a homeopathic migraine remedy.  That at least eased the visual disturbances. 

I've got a few more days (about 4) until my next adjustment.  We'll see how the weekend goes!

Endonasal Balloon Therapy - Day 2

Okay, an update for day 2 of the sinus experiment.

I made an effort to sleep on my right side all night (well, at least to my knowledge) just to see what happens. Normally, I can't even let my head turn slightly to the left or right, lest I get so blocked up I can't breathe within what feels like seconds.  (I have had plans in the works for a special pillow that wouldn't allow me to move my head to the left or the right because even the slightest movement starts the congestion process)

I can say that when I turned to the side last night, I could still breathe.  It wasn't like the congestion slowly creeped up on me, which I was half expecting it to.  I could breathe fully through both nostrils while falling asleep.  I can't remember the last time I had that experience. 

I fully expected to wake up feeling like the right side of my face was going to explode.  Well, the dogs started barking at 11:30 (apparently the neighbors house sitter shows up at nearly midnight to check the dogs, but hey, if you've got that sort of freedom, go for it).  I sat up, fully able to breathe through both nostrils. Shocking! 

Let me explain my normal morning routine.  Typically I set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier than I plan to actually get up.  This is mainly so I can spend some time turning my head from side to side, attempting to unblock my sinuses. This also typically involves A LOT of tissues and nose running and nose blowing. After about 30-40 minutes of this, I get out of bed and continue blowing my nose. 

This morning, I woke up and took a deep breath. The breath actually was full and deep.  There was nothing blocking my breath.  I was able to just get up and go! 

I had a few sneezes and blew my nose a couple of times before work (it's typically nonstop from the time I get up to the time I go to bed most days). I made it through the work day with only 3 sneezes (they always come in 3's) and blowing my nose only once!   Considering I typically spend so much time sneezing and blowing my nose that people think I am sick all the time, this is a huge departure! 

I will say the one of the most foreign feelings I am dealing with (aside from actually breathing) is my nasal passages feeling "dry".  I'm skipping the the neti pot for the time being, to see if the changes are solely from the adjustments.

I don't expect to never sneeze or blow my nose again, but I can't say enough so far about how I feel. 

Here is a list of conditions that may benefit from endonasal balloon therapy:

Asthma
Sinus Problems
Stroke
Nasal Allergies
Nasal Congestion
Migraine Headaches
Misaligned Braces
Autism
Cerebral Palsy
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Tooth Pain or Pressure
Dizziness or Vertigo
Dyslexia
Ear infections
Epilepsy
Infant Colic
Irritability
Insomnia
Snoring
Learning Disorders
Loss of Attention Span
Loss of Mental Coordination
Loss of Visual Acuity
Loss of Hearing
Neck and Back Pain
Nervousness
Neurological Dysfunctions
TMJ Dysfunction
Whiplash

Endonasal Balloon Therapy - Day 1

I underwent my first endonasal balloon therapy session yesterday.

You might ask "what on earth is endonasal balloon therapy?"

Obviously it involves a "balloon" of some sort, right?  Well, not quite.  The process involves finger cots (or in my case nitrile glove fingers) and a bulb from a blood pressure cuff (though I think my chiropractor has a bulb specifically designed for this purpose).  The finger cot (or glove finger) is then placed into the sinus cavities and inflated, expanding the nasal and cranial membranes and joints.

I scoffed when my chiropractor first suggested doing this for my awful allergies and constant congestion.  It was a little more than scoffing really, I thought she was insane. 

Well, after about 5 years of terrible allergy symptoms (though I tested negative for the common allergens locally) and wicked congestion, I reached a point of desperation. I have spent 5 years sneezing, running like a faucet or being so congested I can't get any air through either nostril. Anyone who has sat near me at work, lived with me or spent any time with me in general has witnessed the entire box of Kleenex a week habit and uncontrollable sneezing or nasally voice. 

Last week I asked LaRelle if she was able to get any sort of non-latex finger cots or devise a way to make it work. 

Well, this week we made it work.

It was the weirdest experience I've had in a while (well, probably ever really. I can't think of a lot of things that feel like having balloons inflated in your head!), but once we got going the difference was almost immediate.

LaRelle is used to the tactile sensation using the finger cots, which inflate and stretch more readily than nitrile does, so it was a bit of trial and error finding the point of inflation but once we found it, the opening was amazing.  I can't explain it any other way than my face felt "open".  Sure the nasal discharge increased temporarily, but I felt an openness I haven't felt in years. 

Aside from the aforementioned nasal discharge, my sinuses are still amazingly open 24 hours later.  I had to blow my nose a few times this morning before work (might I add I woke up with neither side of my nose so congested I couldn't breathe) but I made it through an entire day without a Kleenex at work. 

I am going to chronicle my experience with endonasal adjustments with reports each day of how I'm feeling and how the treatment is going.  Right now I'm scheduled for 4 weekly treatments (on Mondays).  After that, I will switch to monthly treatment for 12 months.  After a year, it will be a yearly treatment. 

For the time being, I am going to avoid all of the other things I had been doing for my allergies, such as using my neti pot, SinuOrega spray or benadryl.  I want to be sure the changes are coming from the adjustment, not anything else.  

ABC = Another Bad Cookie

Every once in a while I have a craving for a tasty treat.  I didn't feel like making an entire batch of cookies, so I decided to see if they had anything at the co-op.

ABC (Alternative Baking Co.) starting producing gluten free products.  I used to like their cookies (they are vegan), so I figured I'd give their gluten free cookie a try.

Oh good lord, don't even waste your money.

I grabbed two varieties, Pumpkin Delight and Coconut Fantasy.

I took one bite of the Coconut Fantasy and spit it out.  It was oddly bland AND had a weird aftertaste at the same time.  I thought perhaps it had soy flour in it (which gives things a strange aftertaste), but it was a mix of bean flours and tapioca flour.  Perhaps it was the Garbanzo bean flour?

I didn't have a lot of faith in trying the Pumpkin Delight and it was just as disappointing as I had feared. It was slightly more flavorful (when I say slightly, it was very slight) and still had the awful aftertaste.  It has the same flour blend as well.

The texture was awful for both cookies.

While I have no issue with their vegan cookies (they are pretty tasty), I think gluten free/vegan sets the bar pretty low.  When baking gluten free, you have to account for the mouth feel (nothing is as good as the "real" thing). The use of eggs helps with the texture somewhat.  Also choice of flour is important too. So far I've had the best results using almond or coconut flour.

Having worked in a bakery, I think I know a thing or two about baked goods.  Having a mom that bakes amazing baked goods set the standards pretty high too. (Don't get me started on the people who LIKE the pastries at Starbucks.)

I still haven't found a good gluten free baked good, let alone a great one.  Since my birthday is coming up, I think I may do a bit of experimentation.  This recipe for Grain Free Carrot Cupcakes looks pretty yummy.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Oh Penne al Arribiatta

How I miss you. 

Justin had asked if I had tested my gluten = pain theory.  I haven't.  I'll be honest, I'm really afraid to. 

I have been able to hold a pen. I have been able to take copious notes. (I am still having some issues with fine motor skills.  Trying to paint detail work for school is extremely trying, left handed or right handed).  I can brush my hair (I still don't know if I can use a flat iron yet though!). I can hold Justin's hand again.  I really hope to be able to ride my bike soon. 

Compared to three months ago, it's nothing short of a miracle. I had worried I was never going to be able to do any of the things I loved, let alone the things I took for granted.

Giving up wheat was no easy feat.  I LOVE a good crusty bread more than just about anything.  I would choose bread over chocolate any day.  I will say that not giving in to the "gluten free" substitute hype has made it some what easier. I miss bread less when I'm not eating "bread".  (gluten free bread leaves a LOT to be desired).

One of the staples I make these days is a "breakfast muffin" that is high in protein and fiber. I make a dozen on Sunday so I have them handy for the entire week.  The basic "batter" is pretty easy and the rest of the ingredients can be adjusted to taste. 

Here's the recipe:

Breakfast Muffins

12 eggs
12 tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt (I prefer Kosher or Celtic Sea Salt)

Ingredients to Taste
Sausage (or other breakfast meat - sausage works best as the fat improves the texture of the final product)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Onions
Mushrooms
Spinach (or kale, chard, etc)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix eggs, baking powder and salt.  Add coconut flour and mix well.  (It will be fairly lumpy)

Brown sausage. 

Add onions, mushrooms, spinach or any other veggies about half way through to be sure to wilt/cook the veggies.

Add sausage mixture to "batter".  Mix well to incorporate. 

Add cheddar cheese to the batter. Mix well to incorporate.

Grease muffin tins (or casserole dish).  If using muffin tins fill to just below top. 

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Enjoy warm or cold!

Back to the Penne al Arribiatta........  I figure if I do decide to test the theory, I'm going to Il Forno Classico for a plate of Penne al Arribiatta.  Although I could just find a good recipe for arribiatta sauce and make an eggplant parm.  I might do that anyway, but there's nothing better than a plate of arribiatta from Il Forno....

Going Gluten Free

Okay, so I still haven't been very good about updating the blog! I need to stick with it, partly because of an "experiment" I've been doing on myself.

I've had unexplained chronic pain in my left arm basically from my rib cage, through the scapula, shoulder, elbow, wrist and all the way down to my finger tips for the last 18 months.  It has been so bad that I have spent the last 8 months learning to write, draw and everything else with my right hand.  After x-rays, MRIs, nerve conduction tests there was still no explanation for the pain.

I've tried a ton of "alternative" treatments to alleviate the pain with little to no results.  I've been on anti-inflammatory drugs, had coritsone injections and been through physical therapy.  Orthopedic massage, while painful, did help improve my range of motion, but I was still in constant pain.

After the nerve conduction test in January showed no damage, I was frustrated and somewhat devastated.  It made me feel as though I am crazy (one of the specialists basically told me as much and called me a drug seeker).  I've tolerated pain and joint swelling (but it wasn't arthritis), for as long as I can remember, but this was debilitating pain I had never experienced before.

After doing some reading, I started finding studies and anecdotal stories that indicated that wheat/gluten sensitivity can cause chronic inflammation and arthritis-like symptoms.  At this point, I figured I'd give it a shot.  I've tried so many other things, it couldn't hurt, right?

Well, of all the things I've tried in the last 18 months, I've had the best results of ANYTHING I've tried (the mental torture of giving up a good crusty bread on the other hand, has been the suck!).

 I was planning to do a small experiment by returning to a regular diet for the month of March, but part of me is terrified to give it a shot.  Today, for the first time in more than a year and a half, I was able to use an x-acto knife and my rotary cutter to cut countless swatches for a school project. I am NOT in excruciating pain.  I can definitely tell my left arm has been underutilized for a long period of time, but I don't have the burning, tingling and stabbing sensations I normally have. 

It might not sound like much, but to me, it's a big deal.